Chapter Five

THE HEIR

"I know it hasn't been not easy for you, son. It would be hard for anyone." He said and gave a pause, as if carefully choosing his words.

"Hearing that kind of news, right after gaining consciousness after being unconscious for days, would give anyone a big blow." He continued in a more tender tone.

" I'm glad that you've finally agreed to call me. Just give me a chance son, a chance to make things right. I have been longing to see you for so long.

I won't let you slip away this time."

Mr Dean spoke in a comforting tone and it was working wonders in soothing Xavier's heart.

He suddenly felt the urge to share his pains with this man, to tell him how the world has wronged him, how life has been unfair.

"Okay, I have been wronged by unfortunate circumstances in the past. I want a father too, I need a family." Xavier said and he could feel his voice cracking as he spoke.

"I want to see you, Son. I have found you after so many years, it calls for an uproar of celebration." He said, breaking the ice of silence.

"I want the whole world to know that my son is alive and well. I want to be a proud father."

His words stirred up nauseousness in Xavier, nobody has ever wanted to show him off. Making anybody proud was out of the question.

“Well, I'm planning a party. A welcome party for my long lost son.”

Xavier froze in shock. A party with billionaire's? He was going to be amongst men and women that wielded power and influence? He had never been at a party with low lives like himself. How was he going to cope now being with wealthy men of affluence and influence?

“I will be glad if you will grace the event, afterall, you are the sole reason for the occasion." Xavier arched his eyebrows at his father's words.

" 7pm tonight. You got my business card, I will text you the address." He said and paused.

"I will make it up to you. For all the lost time." He said finally and ended the call.

Xavier didn't like the idea of being in the midst of wealthy men. He was hundred percent sure the party hall will be filled with billionaires, royalties and prominent business men.

The last time he was in that kind of gathering, he was slapped right across the face with shame. He knew one thing for sure, the rich and might have no regards for the poor and lowly.

He couldn't even classify himself as poor.

He didn't have a house or clothes of his own, anything worse than his condition would be death.

Xavier quickly looked at the time on his phone, it was almost six thirty. He breathed out, the cool breeze sweeping through his scanty mustache.

He had decided to go to the party. He would go to the party. "What's the worst that can happen?" He thought out loud as he glanced at his phone at intervals, waiting for the address to pop up.

***

Xavier came to a halt in front of Mr Fitzgerald's mansion. The extravagant building screamed luxury.

Just the exterior designs got him staring in awe.

He swallowed hard as he took each step.

Numerous questions speeding through his mind, he clenched his fist in anxiety.

"What the hell do you want? I have told you beggars to stay away from this premises." A huge security man snapped as he caught sight of Xavier's wretched figure.

"I… I'm not a beggar, I'm here to see umm…" Xavier stuttered as he tried to explain himself. The words were too heavy to spit out because he did sound ridiculous.He was dead sure the security staff would burst into laughter if he told him he's Mr Fitzgerald's son.

Mid way approaching Xavier, the security man stopped. Talking into the walkie talkie in his hand, he widened his eyes in bewilderment.

"You can go in." He said finally, giving him a dirty, disgusted look of disbelief.

Xavier felt eyes on him as he walked into the confines of the mansion.People's judgy eyes and glares of disgust killed the last self-esteem he had. But he braced himself and ignored them.

"Who's that ? How did he manage to get in here?" A wealthy looking lady at the side, whispered to a man standing beside her.

"I feel unsafe with him here." The man replied, eyeing Xavier with disgust. “Who let this riffraff in?”

Xavier's leg wobbled as he approached. In a split second, he thought of turning back. Almost giving in to his negative thoughts, his eyes met that of his father.

"Xavier !! Come here." Mr Fitzgerald said, motioning him to come closer. Xavier walked to him, his legs still shaky, and his heart beating twice as fast as ever. He tried to hide his anxiousness but he knew he couldn't fully do that.

"Who's this? And who gave him the audacity to come here? He belongs with dogs and pigs, not here. Mr Dean, why don't you call security to throw him out?”

A robust man standing inches away from Mr Fitzgerald snapped, eyeing the approaching Xavier disgustedly.

“Throw him out. What's he doing here?I bet he's come to scavenge for food. We don't need dogs here. Dog's aren't welcome.”

Mr Fitzgerald didn't say a word, instead, he smiled and waited for his son to be right by his side. Today was the day he'd finally get to be with his son and that was why he saw it right to throw him a welcome party. He wanted to introduce to his son in a grand manner even if it meant taking everyone aback.

“Mr Dean, don't you think this man is nothing but a scavenger coming here to eat off our leftovers? Just look at the way he's dressed. He'll ruin the introduction of your beloved son to us.”

“Mr Fitzgerald, say something, give orders, let's throw this bastard out of here. He doesn't deserve to be among men with privilege. The gutters is where he belongs.

“Why aren't you saying anything? He doesn't belong to our class, not even the class below us. For all we know he's a hopeless dog.”

Taking the microphone, Mr Fitzgerald gathered the attention of the murmuring crowd as he welcomed his long lost son. “Nobody is chasing him out. That hopeless dog you all are ridiculing is my son, and he is Xavier Dean Fitzgerald, the new heir of my company," Mr Fitzgerald said.

And just with this announcement, the whole crowd was left in utter shock.